Recently I had an opportunity to speak with Pittsford Village Mayor Bob Corby about the early days of Pittsford Village, the state of the Village today and what’s to come.

Donna: Mayor Corby, can you identify a few salient moments, in the establishment of the Village?

Mayor Corby: Pittsford Village was established because the state constructed Monroe Avenue in 1805. Pittsford’s original hamlet was established at the Milepost, located a mile south of the present Village Four Corners. Development migrated north after the state built Monroe Avenue. Inns, taverns, and stores were established where the new road crossed the main road from Rochester to Canandaigua, forming the core of the present Village. Pittsford’s business district retains a number of early nineteenth-century buildings. The landmark Federal-style Phoenix Hotel is one example.

The Village boomed for a few years after the Erie Canal opened in 1822. Eventually Rochester’s superior water power eclipsed Pittsford and the Village grew slowly over the next seventy-five years. When it became practical to commute from the Village to Rochester, growth resumed. In 1902, a trolley station was located at what is now the Pittsford Pub.

Donna: How has Pittsford retained its historic feel?

Mayor Corby: Preservation started early here. Good stewardship and care is well-established in this community.

The Village has tried to be a good steward with our modest but important natural areas. We supported the Town’s purchase of development rights to protect the one farm remaining within our boundaries. The entire Village was designated as a local historic district in 1971. Green thinking, good planning and historic preservation go together.

Donna: Other significant features that shaped Pittsford Village?

Mayor Corby: The Erie Canal was a unique feature that wrapped around the core of the Village. There were three alignments of the Canal. As the Canal moved, it crossed State Street near the Pittsford Library. It was widened in the 1850’s and then again in 1911-1912. In the 1860’s, a series of estates were developed—three in the Village– including Pittsford Farms (Now Pittsford Farms Dairy), Hylgarth (now Stonegate Lane, house faces Sutherland Street) and the Lomb House (old administration building at Sutherland High School).

Donna: Any unique historical aspects of the Village today?

Mayor Corby: Schoen Place is the best warehouse/mill preserved district along the entire length of the Erie Canal.

Donna: Can you tell me about green initiatives in the Village of Pittsford?

Mayor Corby: Pittsford Village is first and foremost a village. We protect the characteristics that make it a village. The Village has always been a very “walkable” place. We treat every street like a park.

Donna: How do you treat every street like a park?

Mayor Corby: When opponents said we were planting trees too close to the road, we didn’t listen. Today, we have a canopy of trees that provide shade, greenery and clean air. We’ve installed new street lighting that both illuminates our streets and saves energy.

Donna: Do you have other green initiatives planned for the Village?

Mayor Corby: We are good stewards of our wetlands. When we can, we rezone land to protect green space and habitats. We work cooperatively with the Town to purchase development rights on parcels within the Village that need to be protected. We are always thinking green.

Donna: The housing development proposed for 75 Monroe Avenue looks like it may be going ahead. This project has been controversial with residents and you have expressed concerns about the 167-unit housing complex proposed on the brownfield site of the former Monaco Oil Co. What impact will this project have on the Village and Town of Pittsford and what are your concerns?

Mayor Corby: It’s true, I voted against this proposed use of Village and Town land. I am against the scale of this project as it is proposed.

Village and Town residents have been very engaged with the issues surrounding this project. Village Boards have spent hundreds of hours over the last few years reviewing this project and resolving a myriad of complex technical and challenging design issues. Although the special permit allowing the multi-family use was approved, I voted no because I was not satisfied the language in the final resolution was sufficiently precise or clear. Traffic safety and the visual compatibility of this project with the historic character of the Village will remain a primary issue of concern as this application progresses to the Village Planning Board and Architectural and Preservation Board.

The Village hired an environmental engineer to help us understand the environmental issues associated with its brownfield status. The property was polluted by the illegal dumping of heavy asphalts and oil. Approximately 95% of these substances were cleaned up under the supervision of the EPA. The remaining 5% will be removed by the developer with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation supervision.

Donna: Do you have any other concerns about this type of use for this parcel?

Traffic in our already congested Village, of course, is always a concern of mine. To reduce potential traffic and avoid other negative effects of commercial development at this sensitive site, the Village annexed the land, then downzoned it for multi-family residential use.

The project will receive close scrutiny from the Planning Board and Architectural and Preservation Review Board. My hope is that the boards will work with the developer to achieve an outcome that is compatible with the character of the Village so this project becomes an asset to the Village’s canal waterfront.

Mayor Corby will celebrate his 20th year as Mayor of the Village of Pittsford in March 2013. I found him to be deeply rooted in Village history and committed to preserving the identity of the Village. A down-to-earth public servant with fresh ideas and a strong commitment to serve. Thanks, Mayor!

moved to Pittsford as a teenager and attended Pittsford-Mendon High School. Her greatest passion is as a lover of and advocate for the arts and music. Donna attended Rhode Island School of Design and earned an MFA from R.I.T. She’s a free-lance art director, advertising photographer and copywriter. Her love of narrative and film has led her to direct and produce short films.

Donna developed her awareness of and concern for environmental issues after being
exposed to the chemicals in artist materials in art schools in the US and Canada which
made her ill for a time. Healthy today, she finds pleasure in nature, writing, and music.
She enjoys Pittsford for its picturesque locations, wildlife, and community involvement.

was born in Rochester, lived here for a while until his dad was transferred to Connecticut ("Thanks, Xerox."). Then a few years later they came back to Fairport ("Thanks again, Xerox."), but Bill went to Pittsford schools. He moved over to Pittsford in 1979. He worked a bunch of jobs, played in bands, went back to MCC and then U of R for a Bachelor's degree in the early 90's. Shortly after that, he moved to NYC with his wife, Laura, where he worked at Ogilvy & Mather and Christie's doing tech support. They moved out to Northern Virginia during the Internet boom, hoping to get rich quick, but missed that boat. They moved back to Pittsford in 2001, along with two boys. Bill still plays guitar with the Chinchillas, the Squeaky Chair Jazz band, and the Steve Greene Trio occasionally.

"Though all communities and areas get a certain reputation (deserved or not), there is a good quality of life here, and the bulk of the people I have met here and places I have been to reflect that," Bill says. "My reason for wanting to blog about the town is at least twofold -- to vent my views and continue with writing, but also to force myself to engage in the environment in which I live. Too many people complain there is nothing to do or see, but they never actually get out and look. I don't want to be like that."